Planning Issues

Thursday, 29 March 2012

Questions (176)

Patrick Nulty

Question:

178 Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will review his decision to cancel the independent planning inquiries set up by the previous Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, TD, into alleged planning irregularities in six local authorities, namely Dublin and Cork city councils and Carlow, Cork, Galway and Meath County councils; if he will reinstate the six independent planning consultants who were appointed in January 2011 to carry out these inquiries; if he will take into account the concerns raised by An Taisce and others in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17433/12]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Jan O’Sullivan)

At no stage did I cancel or stand down the investigations concerned. My predecessor as Minister for Housing and Planning decided that, instead of incurring significant costs to the Exchequer by securing outsourced expertise, the Department would carry out an examination of the cases involved in the first instance. This examination would then inform the public statement which I will be making in the coming weeks, setting out the results and the appropriate next steps in each case. While I do not want to prejudge the outcome of the process, if it is warranted I will be prepared to instigate further investigation of any matters requiring this. While a panel of prospective consultants was prepared by the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government no contract was awarded in respect of any of the areas concerned.